When was John Smeaton born and where did he live?
John Smeaton was born on the 8th of June 1724 in Austhorpe, Leeds. He died after suffering a stroke while walking in the garden of Austhorpe on the 28th of October 1792.
Questions about John Smeaton
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What engineering projects did John Smeaton design between 1755 and 1759?
John Smeaton designed the third Eddystone Lighthouse between 1755 and 1759. The structure utilized dovetailed blocks of granite for stability and pioneered the use of hydraulic lime which allowed mortar to set under water.
Why is John Smeaton considered the first civil engineer?
John Smeaton coined the term civil engineer to distinguish these professionals from military engineers graduating from Woolwich. He became the first expert witness to appear in an English court during 1782 regarding the silting-up of the harbour at Wells-next-the-Sea in Norfolk.
How did John Smeaton influence aviation technology through his research?
John Smeaton devised a 1759 paper that developed concepts known as the Smeaton coefficient describing pressure varying inversely as the square of velocity for objects moving in air. The Wright brothers used this data in their pursuit of the first successful heavier-than-air aircraft before determining the correct value should have been 0.0033.
Where was John Smeaton buried and what memorials exist today?
John Smeaton was buried in the parish church at Whitkirk, West Yorkshire. A memorial stone commemorating him was unveiled in Westminster Abbey on the 7th of November 1994 while a viaduct in the Leeds Inner Ring Road opened in 2008 bears his name.